FINISHED! Anzu is being haunted by a monster in her dreams. It is feeding her lies about her friends and, slowly but surely, she’s becoming unsure of how much she should trust them... YamiAnzu romance.

A/N: I've finally gathered enough courage, after two years, to post this fic on FFN. Please don't flame without reason as I'm all ready feeling slightly nauseous at the thought of all those Anzu-bashers out there. I hope you can forgive me for NOT actually hating any certain character, since I only hate certain couples. Also, this is my second Yu-Gi-Oh fic and my first Yami/Anzu. That's right, I said Yami WILL be paired with Anzu.

Summary: Anzu is being haunted by a monster in her dreams. It is feeding her lies about her friends and, slowly but surely, she's becoming unsure of how much she should trust them... MAJOR Yami/Anzu romance.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I don't own Yami or Anzu. Or Yuugi... Or Jou... Or Honda... But I think I'm just fine with that! At least for now...

Ages: All of the regular characters are currently 17 years of age (besides Anzu; you'll see why soon enough). Whether or not that changes anything from the anime/manga, I don't know but I figured that it works better for my plot.

Rating: PG-13 for cursing, angst, and possible violence later on.

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Things you should know:

"Words" - - Speech

Words

- - Either thoughts or dream mode, it's not hard to figure out which.

Words

/ "Words" - - Just means emphasis, in case you couldn't guess. You may also see them in underline or both bold and underline.

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Chapter One

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In the dark of the night, she walked towards her home. Anzu Mizaki, turning seventeen within the week, completing a late nighttime jog before heading back to her comfortable abode. She was going quickly, she didn't want to be left outside too late after dark, and she feared whether her mother had locked the front door from entry yet.

It was so late, she was just coming back from a recent visit from her best friends' house. Yuugi and Yami's. She had needed to spend some time with someone and they were just right for listening to her troubles and giving her a shoulder to lean on.

She always had this feeling of unprecedented trust in both of them that it'd be hard not to choose their house first over all the others. The two were like brothers--Or, at least one of them was.

The other one she'd rather not say. He was strong and silent, caring and altruistic. He had been a savior to her many times but only because the younger one would need his assistance in saving her and the 'Others'. For once she wished that there could only be the two of them, alone to hear every one of each others secrets, and maybe discover that he truly cared for her the way she did for him.

Call her stereotypical or sappy but she'd fallen in love. True love, as well. Not one of those futile crushes that disappeared after a few months. She definitely knew the difference. She was just absolutely positive that he didn't feel the same only because of the fact that he wasn't like that.

She had reason to believe that the guy had never fallen in love with a girl in either of his two lives at all! If only she could teach him...

But in the end, it wouldn't be worth it.

***

She was wrong. Had she still been there, hearing the two males' current conversation as they had it, she'd have realized that. They were merely sitting in their bedroom, getting ready for bed before the elder one decided to ask a question that had been bothering him for awhile.

" Abiou?" He asked.

The younger boy, Yuugi Mouto, turned to him and answered, "Hai?"

" Do you know about the feeling you get--? Right about here--Like when you're around someone you might know?" He was curious and to put it bluntly, kind of stupid. He obviously thought that it was normal to feel it, that burning heat welling in his chest, when he was around the female of the group.

" Ano--Why? Daijobou?" Yuugi asked, now just as confused as his older double.

" Hai, of course. It's just different. It seems familiar--Demo, I know this is strange but... I don't understand it..." Yami shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Maybe I'm worrying over nothing..."

" I'm glad to hear that we're on the same level. What kind of feeling are we talking about here? Like a fast pace beat, a flutter--?"

" In a way, it's the both of them. It fluctuates, you see? A burning, a fast beat, a swelling, a flutter..." He was becoming very perturbed over the unknown ordeal, "Like I said, maybe it's nothing..."

" Is there a certain time you get this-this feeling?" Yuugi asked, he was beginning to see.

" Well, Anzu-san always makes me smile. When she laughs, I feel this little flittering inside of me. I've never had that happen before, at least not at a time I remember." Yami looked to Yuugi, "Is that normal, Abiou?"

To his surprise, as well as Yuugi's, the younger teen started laughing.

" Kami-Sama--! You don't even know when you like somebody?" And he fell onto his bed, rolling with uncontrollable laughter.

" I always presumed that I knew when I liked a person or not..."

Yami was looking at him with a mixed expression of embarrassment, puzzlement, and impatience. He had to clear his throat very loudly to get his-ano, would you call it better(?)-half to stop long enough to help him understand better.

It took Yami a moment to answer and when he did, it was clear that he didn't know how his question and love were connected.

" Love..? Well, I'm not very well up to par with your 'Dictionary' but my definition is someone or thing that you care unconditionally for. You'd give anything, from the most common to the most rare to save them (Or it). An example is when we risked our souls to save your Grandpa and the Kaiba brothers. It's the same as how I feel about you Abiou, as well as Jonouchii and Honda and Anzu--Is that right?" He finished.

" Not at all... You were right for the first part, kinda. And of course I know you care for me and the others but with Anzu--It's a different type of love... Unlike how you feel about us. You don't get that funny feeling in your chest when you see or hear from us do you..?" And inwardly, he begged for a 'No'. (A/N: Don't spite me; I'm not a big fan of yaoi/yuri.)

" Well, not really, not at all... Is there that much of a difference?"

" Hai, thank Kami-Sama! You actually LOVE her. You want to spend the rest of your life with her. And I mean with her, it's not like Honda and Shizuka. What you feel for Anzu is very different from what you feel for any of us. Like in the beginning, when you took over to help my friends, I know that you became very worried over Anzu's life when it was threatened. Do you understand yet?"

" Hai..." He said with no emotion, as if he wasn't allowed to love anybody at all, "Demo, what do you suppose I should do about it?"

" I think Anzu at least needs to know what you have to say. It would hurt a lot if she were to find somebody else before you could tell her anything. Do you want to give her a call?"

Yami did nothing but nod though he had no idea what he'd say when he verbally confronted her.

" Hey! I have a wonderful idea. Her birthday is two days from now. Why not do something special with her. Give her something to actually celebrate." Yuugi pressured, looking his older twin in the eyes, "She'd probably like that very much."

" Ano, hai. I guess so." Yami said, "Should I call her now?"

" It's just a little late for that now, isn't it? Besides, she just left here, she wouldn't be home yet anyway. Wait till tomorrow. We can stop by after school. I'm sure she'd like a visit, after all, she gives us enough of them. Maybe we can discuss it then, be sure that she doesn't have any plans." Yuugi shrugged tiredly and lay down in his bed, "Tomorrow..." He muttered.

Yami followed suit, pulling the covers over him and waiting until the soft and level breathing of his young brotherly figure was heard before sighing exasperatedly.

In a new world he'd have been happy to love again, but he could tell that even after five thousand years, evil still loomed over every creature in existence...

***

Anzu stepped through her front door, quietly tiptoeing up the stairs and into her room. Her mom had fallen asleep on the couch, her exhaustion obviously getting the better of her. She ducked into her room and took off her clothes, placing her flannel pajama's over her body and then setting her alarm for fifteen minutes earlier so she'd have time to take a shower. Then she turned out her light and went to sleep.

Dreaming usually came easily for her, tonight was no different. At least, she hoped not.

Roses, multitudes of roses were everywhere. They were on her bed and the floor. In the hallway and downstairs. They were even outside. Streamers and balloons and flashing lights. It all seemed so perfect. Her friends all stood at the foot of the staircase watching her face of ecstasy as she came down and hugged each of them in thanks. The birds sung and the sun blazed cheerily outside. It could not have been a better day.

Best of all, He was there as well. A single, long-stemmed rose in his hand. She didn't know how he'd suddenly appeared there to give it to her but she loved it all the same. Especially since it was from him.

Another house, another dream.

She woke up to the smell of copper. On the floor red littered every single step that she took. At first she thought that they were rose petals but after a closer inspection, she almost collapsed at the sight of the blood. Everywhere, on the walls, the floor, the banister, the front door. Her friends were nowhere and almost at once, as she entered the living room, she felt a forboding sense and immediately, she wished to leave.

Worst of all, he was there. He was the only one that had bothered to come? Was this her birthday, after all? She came up to his back and tapped him fearfully, not sure what to expect. He fell to the floor and dust crawled from under his form, climbing into the air. She screamed.

There was someone there but she didn't know who, nor did she care.

" Kaijou!"

There was nothing left of him but a stack of bones and the grim expression that had shown on his face. She ran from the room and down the hall, grabbing the phone. She tried dialing her closest friend but there was no answer. The same came from any of the others.

She was not alone, no matter how much it seemed that way... She had to find a way out, to find a way to help the others... They had no clue...

" Kaijou!"

She hung up and darted toward the front door and attempted to open it but it was locked. She tried turning the locks but they were jammed...

" Anzu..."

She wasn't going to answer, she was too terrified.

" Anzu..."

The door was still not budging. She immediately put her body weight pressure on it and she heard the hinges creak.

" Anzu--"

She felt a hand on her and she tried to pull free, wriggling under the persons grasp--

" --Kaijou--!"

" ...Anzu..!"

She snapped her eyes open and saw the worried face of her mother over her. She refused to look into her eyes and instead set her sights on the clock at her bedside. It was five-thirty in the morning! She couldn't deal with that but she also knew that she wouldn't be getting anymore sleep that night so she clambered from her bed and got to her feet, shutting off the alarm.

She wouldn't let her mother worry over her so much. She was in high school, she was more independent than her parent refused to believe. She was going to show it to her.

" Honey, daijoubu?" She asked and ruffled her head in a reassuring way.

" Hai... I'm getting up now. It was just a nightmare demo I can't get back to sleep so I'm going to get into the shower..." She reached the bedroom door just as her mother called after her.

" Are you positive? You were calling 'Kaijou' in your sleep. I think that you should talk about it... Please, discuss this with me."

Anzu sat back down, feeling that she owed it to her to speak of her fears. When she was finished, though, her mother giggled. She frowned in misunderstanding. Her mother shouldn't act that way about something so serious--!

Obviously her disapproval showed because next moment, her mother spoke, "Honey, there is nothing to worry about. You are the kindest person anyone could meet and they'd have to be inhuman not to see that. Your friends care for you, they will always be there for you. You have nothing to be afraid of."

She got up and kissed her on the cheek, hugging her close. As she left the room, Anzu felt considerably more secure. It was strange how her mothers love always did that to her. And, at the same time, it made her feel positive of the people around her.

She left the room as well, jumping into the shower and humming a small tune to herself. Even as early as it was, she found herself thinking of him. He came so naturally to mind, yet it made her fear that her emotions for him were growing more intimate. And, for her, there was nothing good about that.

He was simply not the type to love or be loved. And she pitied him for it.

Still exhausted an hour and a half later, she collapsed onto her cushions and rested her pounding head. It was like her to get up early but this nightmare was pushing it. She set her alarm for the time to leave for classes approximately twenty minutes later. At that time, she pulled her pack over her back and jumped down the front steps, acting as chipper and awake as she could when she'd gotten so little sleep the night before.

Down the road, the first bell rung, signaling that students were allowed to leave the courtyard and enter the building. Standing at the gate, obviously waiting for her, Jonouchi and Honda stood. But she didn't see Yuugi anywhere...

--Or Yami.

Suddenly a quick flash of her nightmare came to mind but she overcame it, too frightened that her friends would find out how gullible she was. She smiled, shouting "Ohayo!", and caught up to them and they proceeded to make their way inside.

" Matte! Shouldn't we keep watch for the others?" She asked them but Jonouchi just smiled.

" Don't worry like that, Anzu. It's all under control, Yuugi gave me a call on the ol' cell a few minutes ago. They're both running a little late, something about a run-on discussion, and he thought it better if we just went ahead." He winked at her, "You know that I'd never leave behind any of my friends. Besides, your special day is coming up and I think that it's more important right now to discuss what you want."

" Oh, it's okay. I'm just happy to have you guys there for me. I really don't need any gifts, just having you guys as my friends for this long is fine." She bowed thankfully and then told the two guys, "I think that I'll just wait for them, you know? Just to be sure that they're here on time."

They shrugged and waved goodbye, walking inside as she collapsed against the wall.

Wow, that's strange. Since when have those two decided to go to class before me? It's kind of weird, when you think about it.

She looked to her watch, Fifteen minutes till class starts. I'll give them about ten. After that, I guess I'll have to make a rush for my locker and then, first period.

She heard some laughter and turned but it was only a couple of students. A male and a female. They looked like they were greatly enjoying their time together. She closed her eyes and relaxed. She certainly wished that she could have that. She knew the person all ready that she wished she could spend her while with...

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A/N: Um... First chapter finished. Not much of a cliffy but... **blushes embarrassedly**... I hope you all don't mind reviewing. Thanks for your [hopeful] support and I hope to see you next mind. I'm also hoping that there is a next time. Heh.

--Chibi ending transmission.

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.